Month: March 2016

There is nothing that captivates my soul like the smell of fresh tilled ground and the feeling of earth under my foot and especially between my toes (Thanks Lucas Owako for a past description). There is nothing like a good change of weather, either from the hot to the cold , the cold to the hot, the dry to the humid and from the dark wintry days to the full bloom of colors of spring. There is nothing like a change of diet especially after eating one type due to economic reasons. Everything changes, tastes newer, longs and must go through change.

Seasons and times are ordained by a loving Father, so that at each change just as the earth, after sun-scorching times, she (the earth) can open up her mouth wide and receive the rain from heaven with thanksgiving. The universe connects with the rhythms of life that the maker has ordained and without complaining, yields to the new season. We too as humans must accept the new season, the season may be tough and heart wrenching like a loss of a dear one, or may be sweet like moving from one country to another (by choice of course), a season of plenty and a season of scarcity.

All in all we must accept a new season and slowly but surely bring our selves to the new realities it portends for us.

Imagine with me that there was no way of predicting a change of seasons…it reminds me of these science fiction movies showing planets that are destroyed and robots, super funny humans or clones are roaming, where the whole movie is shot in darkness, misty scenes and flashing fires all over. Boring! Stress! Yeah only robots can exist!

But God created seasons to renew His beloved people, peradventure in our ups or downs, we may experience and acknowledge God the more, learn to trust and glorify Him.

Embrace your season; it may be the colic baby, she will grow; it may be school work, it will end; it may be a job you are doing to keep yourself sustained, change is coming, it may be sickness, God heals; it may be depression and stressed thoughts, God will lighten you; it may be….

God who is in-charge of each season will pluck a flower for you in every season to remind you that He cares for you at every turn.

Prayer:

Dear Father, When you created me you knew every season I will walk through at the exact time to the minutest micro-second. I am never ever going to find myself in a season and then hear you say that you need to consult about what you should do about me. “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be”- Psalm 139:16

Life can kick you really hard in the stomach leaving you out of breathe. It is almost a month now since we lost a dear friend in a road accident. It has taken me over 3 weeks to actually see, believe and feel that our 29 year old, friend had crossed over to eternity.My husband and I were their best couple in a colorful wedding in November 2015.

I remember the frantic call from the wife at 11.30pm on that fateful Tuesday 9th of February 2016. I was in bed and for some reason, I decided to leave the phone on (something I had not done for quite sometime) and my husband noted the brilliance in the room as the wife made the call.

I quickly jumped out of bed, moving via adrenaline, my usually unperturbed and a little slow to react husband was still taking in the news at the other end of the line that ” My husband has not arrived to his destination, the phone is ringing and no one has picked it, the transport company he traveled by is not keen to release any information”.

We picked our warm clothes, I called the supervisor to the husband and started the long journey that is still on 3 weeks later. The long and short of it is that the 84 day husband died and we were thrown into panic and planning for a funeral.

Why does God allow life to kick us so hard? Or simply why does life hurt? When you think you have it and want to hold onto it tightly, like soap, it slips out of your hand and you have to try and follow it to catch up with where you were. David in Psalm 22 paints an interesting scenario when he cries out in verse 1-2 ” My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest”.

Jesus has been at the same position if not at a more harder place than I have been in the last 3 weeks. In these Psalm, David asks the human question “Why” three times. This is a heavy word especially when you are crying and you are asking The Sovereign God. Why Lord? Why take a young man? Why leave a young widow? Why wound us this much? Why? Why? Why?

Yet Jesus, God himself cried, asked the same question, there was silence from heaven and darkness covered the earth for 3 hours Luke 23:44-45 “for the sun stopped shining”.

Things are tough, life will never be the same again but the sun will shine again, on a new me on a new us as a couple, on a new life the young widow has to live and indeed all who loved him, his family and friends. But like resurrection David in Psalm 22:24 says, “For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one (Emphasis mine here: ‘of the one kicked hard in the stomach’) he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.

The devil and death kicked Jesus HARD on Good Friday but come Easter Sunday, Jesus dealt them a deathly blow. God heard His Son’s cry and though He seemed silent, he was holding on for Easter Sunday, the final blow on these enemies of men and women across the globe.

I thank God for the promise of resurrection for our young friend and a life of hope and peace to his widow, family and friends. For we all need that assurance.

Prayer:

Lord I do not understand the loss and the stress I have had in the past 3 weeks. I do not know why this loss and death happened. But I know how I feel. I feel robbed, I feel played and I feel helpless at times. If I am feeling this way, there are others whose same loss means much more; especially the young widow and his immediate family. Father help me during this time to find you steadfast and sure for you are. Let my faith in you kick in and not give up. Help me to be strong in your power.In Jesus Name. Amen